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| Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association | |
|---|---|
| Name | Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association |
| Abbreviation | CPSA |
| Formation | 1931 |
| Type | Advocacy group |
| Headquarters | Australia |
| Region served | Australia |
| Membership | Seniors |
Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association
The Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association is an Australian senior citizens' advocacy group advocating for pension, welfare, and aged-care issues. It engages with federal and state institutions such as Parliament of Australia, Social Services Legislation Amendment (Fair and Sustainable Pensions) Bill, Department of Veterans' Affairs, and interacts with organisations including Australian Council of Social Service, National Seniors Australia, Council on the Ageing (COTA), and Australian Human Rights Commission.
Founded in 1931 during the aftermath of the Great Depression (1930s), the association emerged alongside contemporaries like the Australian Labor Party and Country Women's Association as part of broader social responses to poverty and old-age support. Early campaigns intersected with debates around the Invalid and Old-age Pensions Act 1908 and influenced discussions in the Commonwealth Parliament and at state parliaments such as the Parliament of New South Wales and Parliament of Victoria. Over decades the group engaged with policy milestones including the introduction of the Age Pension (Australia), amendments associated with the Whitlam Government, the Hawke Government's social wage reforms, and later revisions during the Howard Government and Rudd Government eras.
The association is organised through state branches reflective of Australian federalism: branches in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, and the Australian Capital Territory. Governance typically includes a national council, state executives, branch committees and local delegates, interacting with advisory panels and subcommittees influenced by entities like the Australian Electoral Commission for advocacy campaigns and coordination with groups such as Union of Australian Women and Australian Unemployed Workers' Union on cross-sector issues.
Membership comprises retirees, superannuants and aged pension recipients drawn from urban centers like Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane as well as regional communities including Wollongong, Geelong, Toowoomba, and Bunbury. Historically the association attracted veterans from conflicts such as World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War and has links with Returned and Services League of Australia branches. Demographic shifts mirror national ageing trends reported by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and intersect with policy interests represented by organisations like Seniors Card schemes in various states.
Policy platforms typically address pension indexation, concession entitlements, aged care funding, and housing for seniors, lobbying federal instruments such as the Social Security Act 1991 and participating in inquiries of bodies like the Australian Senate and House of Representatives committees. The association has engaged with issues around medical costs involving the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, interactions with the Medibank and Medicare frameworks, and submissions to royal commissions including those akin to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. It collaborates or contests positions held by entities such as Treasury (Australia), Productivity Commission, and political parties including the Liberal Party of Australia and Australian Greens.
Activities include community meetings, pensioner lobby days at locations like Parliament House, Canberra, information sessions at local RSL clubs, legal referral clinics partnering with firms and organisations such as Australian Legal Aid and Legal Aid NSW, and campaigns for concessions in public transport systems run by operators like Transport for NSW and Public Transport Victoria. The association organises fundraising, social events, and collaborates with aged-care providers including non-profits like UnitingCare and Anglicare Australia for service referrals.
Communication channels have included newsletters, bulletins and policy papers distributed to members and stakeholders, and submissions to parliamentary inquiries archived in libraries like the National Library of Australia and state libraries such as the State Library of New South Wales. The association has used media outlets including the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, The Sydney Morning Herald, and community radio networks to publicise campaigns, and coordinates with advocacy coalitions involving Australian Council of Social Service and National Seniors Australia for joint statements.
Notable campaigns include advocacy for pension indexation reforms, opposition to means-testing proposals debated during the Fraser Government and Howard Government years, and participation in national debates about aged-care standards that fed into inquiries similar to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. The association influenced state-level concessions in utilities and transport negotiated with agencies such as Essential Services Commission (Victoria) and Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal, and partnered with bodies including Consumer Action Law Centre on consumer protection for seniors. Its lobbying contributed to public awareness and policy adjustments intersecting with landmark figures and institutions like Bob Hawke, Gough Whitlam, Malcolm Fraser, and federal committees examining social welfare policy.
Category:Organisations based in Australia Category:Senior citizen organisations